Remaining Anonymous/Part 1
Empath's personal journal. Ever since taking on the role of the assistant counselor, this smurf has had the pleasure of working with various Smurfs whose constant personalities prove to be problematic to themselves and to their fellow Smurfs. This smurf has worked with Scaredy to help him overcome his various phobias, even the ones that don't make much particular sense in any other Smurf's mind. This smurf has worked with Sickly to deal with his hypochondria and the possibility that his perceived illnesses are most likely psychosomatic in nature. This smurf has worked with Lazy to help him become a productive member of the Smurf Village despite his constant need for sleep. This smurf has worked with my lifelong friend Grouchy to help him be free of his own social awkwardness and to be able to express himself however he wants. This smurf has worked with Lucky and his compulsive gaming habits that are harming himself and others. And this smurf has been working with a Smurf named Anonymous, who feels like he is a complete nobody among his fellow Smurfs and is often teased by being called Nobody Smurf, much to this smurf's displeasure. Some Smurfs wonder why this smurf continues to work with these Smurfs if they would never seem to change out of the problems that beset them. To be truthful, this smurf cares for them and considers them worthy of this smurf's attention, even if it would take a whole lifetime for them to become something more than what they are called. Papa Smurf doesn't seem to have a problem with this, since he too cares for all his little Smurfs as if they were his own flesh-and-blood children. This smurf tries to remain positive and hopeful despite what most Smurfs would say about those Smurfs that this smurf counsels. ----- Empath woke up that morning, feeling refreshed and ready to start the day. He got changed into his normal everyday clothes, feeling good about himself as he saw himself in the mirror to make sure everything about him was perfect. He then went downstairs to see that Polaris Psyche was already dressed and ready to start the day himself. "Salutations, fellow Polaris," he pleasantly greeted. "Salutations, fellow Empath," Polaris greeted back in his usual non-emotional manner. "This one senses that you are ready to start the brand new day." "All this smurf needs right now is a good breakfast, and then this smurf is ready to go," Empath said. "What have you planned for yourself for the day ahead?" "As usual, this one will be watching over the village as its chief of security to make sure all activities within it are running smoothly, Empath," Polaris said. "Well, this smurf should hope things will stay peaceful as they have been over the past several days at least," Empath said. "This smurf has a counseling session with Anonymous to attend to today." "This one is curious to know what you would accomplish through these counseling sessions if the Smurfs seem predisposed to continue acting the way that they do among your people, Empath," Polaris said. "This smurf believes that all individuals are capable of growing beyond themselves, if given enough time for them to learn their lessons, Polaris," Empath said. "This smurf doesn't believe that a Smurf is ever truly a 'lost cause', but it would sadden this smurf if anyone were to pass on from this life before they have the chance to really show what they are capable of." "Yet the Smurfs do not seem to show the same regard to Gargamel, despite the years that they had to tolerate his attempts to destroy them," Polaris said. "Admittedly this smurf wasn't even there to firsthand witness all that Gargamel has done to terrorize the Smurfs, although this smurf does sympathize with their feeling of not wanting him or his cat to be anywhere near them," Empath said. "Still, there were some who were willing to give Gargamel a chance to redeem himself, even if he never took the opportunity when it was given to him." "This one will continue to ask the Great Ancestors for guidance and wisdom in your endeavors to rehabilitate your fellow Smurfs," Polaris said. "That's all this smurf could really ask you for, which this smurf appreciates, Polaris," Empath said. ----- At the breakfast table, Empath sat down with Smurfette, Tapper, and Duncan McSmurf as they prepared to eat their breakfast together. "So how smurfs your counseling sessions lately, my dear Empath?" Tapper asked. "Well, this smurf does have an appointment with Anonymous scheduled for today, Tapper, so this smurf will see how it goes," Empath answered. "Does Anonymous still feel like a Nobody Smurf, Empath?" Smurfette asked. "This smurf fears that he does, Smurfette," Empath answered. "This smurf tries to help him see that there's nothing wrong with what he is, but he really feels like he wants to be a Somebody Smurf." "And how do you plan on helping the laddie smurf that now, pray tell?" Duncan asked. "This smurf isn't sure of exactly how, Duncan," Empath said. "We'll just have to see what he wants to do in order to overcome his situation and try to act accordingly." "Maybe the others Smurfs can help be an inspiration to what he should smurf as far as being somebody other than an Anonymous," Smurfette suggested. "That smurfs like a good place to start, my dear Smurfette," Tapper said. "What else are we going to smurf to help Anonymous become someone?" "That sounds like a good idea worth trying," Empath said. "If Anonymous is willing to go along with that idea, this smurf knows of some Smurfs that could provide that needed inspiration." "Here's smurfing for the best to the laddie, Empath," Duncan said, raising up his glass of smurfberry juice. "I'll smurf to that," Tapper said, raising up his glass and clinking it with Duncan's before taking a sip. ----- After breakfast, Anonymous was going to the village well to draw some water out with a bucket, whistling the Smurf song as he was doing that. He pulled up the bucket that was in the well and filled his own bucket with the water, but he didn't go far with the bucket when he turned and walked straight into Clumsy, who was walking in the opposite direction. The bucket flew high into the air and then landed on Anonymous' head, dousing him in water. "Oh, gosh, Nobody, I'm sorry," Clumsy said as he pulled the bucket off from Anonymous' head. "I guess that I just didn't see you." "Well, that's me, a Nobody Smurf," Anonymous said. "I'm always getting overlooked because I don't have a name for myself." "You getting overlooked?" Clumsy said. "Well, I'm always getting underfoot. Sometimes I just can't seem to smurf my right foot from my left." "I would smurf anything to have your talent of clumsiness, Clumsy," Anonymous said. "Gosh, you would?" Clumsy said, sounding very excited, although in his excitement he let go of the bucket he was holding and caused it to fall right onto Anonymous' foot, causing him a bit of pain. "Oh, sure," Anonymous said as he soothed away the pain in his foot. "Every Smurf seems to smurf a name that fits them except me. But sometimes I feel like I just don't fit in." "Well, maybe Empath can help you find the right name for you, Anonymous," Clumsy said. "I'm sure that he isn't going to fail you." Just then, Empath showed up at the well. "Salutations, fellow Clumsy, and salutations, fellow Anonymous," Empath greeted. "So how are we doing today?" "Oh, I'm doing fine, Empath," Anonymous said. "I was just talking to Clumsy about smurfing myself a new name." "He's not going to remain a Nobody Smurf forever, Empath, is he?" Clumsy asked. "This smurf believes that we can find something appropriate for Anonymous to be referred to as other than an Anonymous or a Nobody, Clumsy," Empath said. "Anyway, Anonymous, this smurf believes that our counseling session will require a new approach for you to undergo to achieve what you want." "A new approach?" Anonymous said, sounding intrigued. "Oh, I could only wonder what that would be, Empath." "Let's take ourselves a little walk around the village, Anonymous," Empath said. "This smurf will show you through some important examples." Anonymous sighed. "Well, what have I got to lose? Smurf the way, Empath!" ----- Hefty was busy doing workouts outside his house, lifting barbells up and down in rhythmic motion while counting each repetition. Empath and Anonymous both approached him, although Anonymous became so timid that he hid himself behind a punching bag that was tied to the thick branch of a tree. "Salutations, fellow Hefty," Empath greeted. "So the star-face graces me with his presence today," Hefty sarcastically said. "And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Who do you want me to smurf after this time?" "Just Nobody, Hefty," Empath responded. "Nobody?" Hefty said. "What's that supposed to be, a joke?" "Actually, this smurf was referring to Anonymous," Empath clarified. "This smurf is trying to find inspiration for him to gain a new name for himself?" "So that's what this is all about?" Hefty said, sounding a bit impatient. "I have better things to smurf with my time than to smurf that Nobody that he's better than he actually is, which he isn't." "Not according to what this smurf can sense from you, Hefty," Empath said. "In fact, this happens to be your day off today, so this smurf believes that you can..." "All right, Empath, that does it!" Hefty said, dropping the barbells. "What I smurf on my day off is none of any Smurf's business, even yours! And if you don't smurf out of here and let me smurf my thing, I'm going to smurf you what you always should have smurfed from me!" Hefty went over to the punching bag and punched it hard to emphasize his point, though in the process he caused Anonymous to fly into the air until he found himself spinning around on the gymnastics bar before landing in a pile of leaves on the ground. "Oh, hi, Hefty," Anonymous greeted weakly after he landed. "Anonymous, what are you smurfing here?" Hefty asked. "Please, Hefty, I just want to become somebody, and Empath said that you were one of the best Smurfs that could inspire me to become somebody, so could you please teach me how to become an athlete?" Anonymous asked. Hefty sighed. "Well, all right, just this one I'll smurf it a shot." ----- And so Hefty had Anonymous go through an obstacle course while Empath stood by and watched, not saying anything. Anonymous swung around on the high bars, then hopped across some vaulting horses and went through a series of old wheels from Handy's machines. Hefty in the meantime just laid back in his hammock, enjoying a glass of Vita-Juice while he watched Anonymous go through the course again and again. Finally Anonymous stopped himself in front of Hefty's hammock, all tired out. "Oh, I've smurfed this obstacle course a hundred times, Hefty," Anonymous said. "Can't I smurf a break?" "Not until you've smurfed it a hundred more, Nobody," Hefty said. "You want to be a true Athletic Smurf, you've got to smurf in the hours, the sweat, the tears, everything you've got to smurf yourself into the best shape you can smurf. And if you've ain't got what it smurfs, then, well, there isn't much that I can smurf for you." Anonymous watched as Hefty got up from his hammock and went over to the high bars to do some chin-ups with one hand while still holding his glass of Vita-Juice in the other. Empath then joined Anonymous. "I'm not sure if being an Athletic Smurf is truly what I want to be, Empath," Anonymous said. "That's your choice, Anonymous, and this smurf will stand by it," Empath said. "Why don't we try working with Greedy for a while and see if being his understudy as a village chef is the right thing for you." "A good idea," Anonymous said. "I'd rather have a napkin in my lap than another lap around the course." Hefty continued to do his chin-ups on the high bars, counting each repetition until he stopped and looked for Anonymous Smurf, only to not see him around. "Now where did that out-of-shape Smurf go?" he asked himself. ----- In Greedy's kitchen, Empath watched as Greedy taught Anonymous the basics of how to make a cake. He stood out of the way and allowed Greedy and Anonymous to interact with each other without any interference on his part. Anonymous was stirring up the contents that he was mixing together in a bowl when Greedy came over to observe his work. "So how am I doing?" Anonymous asked, accidentally spilling a bit of cake batter into Greedy's face. Greedy licked his face to get a taste of the batter. "It needs more sugar, Anonymous, not to mention some flour," he reminded his friend. "Oh, right, the sugar and the flour," Anonymous said, reaching for the boxes of sugar and flour that was on the table next to the other ingredients while Greedy wiped off his face with his napkin. Greedy watched in horror as Anonymous poured a lot of flour into the mixing bowl. "No, that's too much!" he cried out, as the flour produced a big thick cloud that made things hard to see in the kitchen until it dissipated, leaving Anonymous with a big towering lump of dough sitting in the bowl. "So what do you think, Greedy?" Anonymous asked, showing the result of his work so far. "If it tastes like it smurfs, I'm in big trouble," Greedy muttered. "What was that, Greedy?" Anonymous asked. "Uh, let's smurf it in the oven, on the double!" Greedy said, trying to mask his true feelings from Anonymous. "Right, on the double," Anonymous said. Empath continued to watch as Anonymous carried the bowl with the big lump of dough straight toward the oven, where Greedy was waiting for him. He placed the whole thing, bowl and all, inside the oven, accidentally hurting Greedy's fingers in the process when he closed the oven door. "Oh, sorry, Greedy," Anonymous said. "I'm just excited over baking my first cake." He then reached up over the oven and turned the dial to set the heat of the oven. Greedy watched in horror again as the oven began to produce a lot of smoke and to make its door shake violently. "It's going to be your last if you don't smurf the heat..." Then suddenly the door exploded off its hinges, and the cake batter also exploded, coating Empath, Greedy, and Anonymous in cake batter. "...down." "Oh, I'm real sorry, Greedy," Anonymous said. "I guess I'm just not smurfed out to be a Cook Smurf, am I?" "You're just trying your best to find what you truly are among your fellow Smurfs, Anonymous," Empath said, using his telepathic powers to clean up the mess in the kitchen. "Right now, the only place I want to find Anonymous is out of my kitchen, Empath!" Greedy shouted. "You hear that?" Empath sighed. "This smurf understands and acknowledges, Greedy." ----- Empath noticed that Anonymous was looking seriously disappointed. "From the examples you smurfed me, Empath, I'm not smurfed out to be an athlete, and I'm certainly not smurfed out to be a village cook. What else can I be now?" "There is still one other example that we might try, Anonymous," Empath said. "Perhaps Brainy can be an inspiration to what you truly want to be." "You mean that I can be as smart as Brainy Smurf?" Anonymous asked. "It is possible, Anonymous," Empath answered. "Let's visit him and see for ourselves." They knocked on Brainy's door and waited. Soon they saw him answer with Snappy the ladybug perched on his head. "Oh, Empath, what a privilege it is for you to visit me while I am busy dictating my notes for the next book that I'm going to write," Brainy said obsequiously. "And to what do I smurf the pleasure of this visit?" "Well, this smurf came on behalf of Anonymous, to see if you can train him to become as smart as you are, Brainy," Empath explained. "Oh, that Nobody Smurf," Brainy muttered, as if he didn't like what that was going to entail. "Well, this Nobody Smurf does want to become a somebody other than an Anonymous, Brainy," Empath said. "Are you able to help him achieve that?" "Oh, please, Brainy, I just want to be noticed by the other Smurfs," Anonymous pleaded. "Nobody, Nobody, Nobody, genius isn't something that can be smurfed in a day," Brainy said. "It requires years of devoted study to become as brilliant as me." Anonymous sighed. "That's what I thought." "However, never let it be smurfed that I, Brainy Smurf, wasn't a patient Smurf," Brainy said. "Come smurf with me for a while and let me smurf you with the basics of higher learning." Empath and Anonymous both stepped inside Brainy's house and sat down by his writing table, eager to listen to what Brainy may have to teach. "First of all, Anonymous, A is for admiration: we all admire Brainy Smurf," Brainy began to teach. "B is for brains: we all know that Brainy Smurf is gifted with such an intelligent brain. C is for..." And so Brainy's lesson continued on into the night, which during the lesson Anonymous fell asleep and Empath was barely trying to keep his eyes open. Even his ladybug Snappy was resting peacefully on the mantle of Brainy's fireplace. "M is for magnificent: Brainy Smurf is such a magnificent example of Smurfhood," Brainy droned on and on. "N is for never: never underestimate the power of Brainy Smurf. O is for..." Then Brainy noticed that both Empath and Anonymous have fallen asleep listening to his lesson. This made Brainy so displeased, even that his own half-brother would fall asleep during one of his lessons. "O is for obligation: you have an obligation to listen to every word that Brainy Smurf says," Brainy said, picking up one of his books and slamming it hard on the top of the table, causing Empath and Anonymous to be knocked over on their seats, and also causing Snappy to arise from her sleep. "Is the lesson over, Brainy?" Anonymous asked, yawning and picking himself up from the ground while Empath did the same. "It is for you, Anonymous," Brainy said. "It's too bad Lazy's name is already taken. And I'm ashamed of you, Empath, for not smurfing yourself awake during the whole lesson that I was teaching." "This smurf apologizes, Brainy," Empath said. "This smurf was hoping that your lesson wouldn't take so much time out of the day for Anonymous to learn something from." "Well, I'm going to smurf as much time as I feel is needed to teach any lesson I want, Empath Smurf!" Brainy said boldly. "Now I'm going to have to ask you both to leave immediately because I feel that this whole exercise is just a waste of my time, and I have so much material for my next book to dictate." Empath sighed. "This smurf understands and acknowledges, Brainy." ----- Empath took Anonymous back to his own house. "I feel like I'm just not cut out to be a Somebody Smurf among my fellow Smurfs, Empath," Anonymous said. "Don't think that about yourself, Anonymous," Empath said. "The journey to find yourself isn't going to be completed in a single day. Sometimes you just need to accept that there are some things you cannot change about yourself and pray to Mother Nature and Father Time to give you the courage to change the things that you can, and that you may have wisdom to know the difference." "You really believe that I can be somebody, Empath?" Anonymous said. "You smurf more faith in me than I do about myself right about now." "Let's just get ourselves some sleep for the new day, and this smurf will talk to Papa Smurf to see what he can do to help you find the true self that you are, Anonymous," Empath said. They both stopped at the door of his house. "Remember, you are more than what other Smurfs think you are. Don't forget that." "I'll try not to, Empath," Anonymous said. "I'll see you in the morning." Empath watched as Anonymous entered his house and closed the door. He felt a great wave of sympathy for Anonymous' situation and wished that he could find the way that Anonymous could feel better about himself and knowing that he truly had a purpose for living and being among his fellow Smurfs. Smurf to Part 2 Category:Empath the Luckiest Smurf stories Category:Remaining Anonymous chapters Category:VicGeorge2K9's articles